Yakovlev’s SJ-100 testbed has carried out a flight at its service ceiling of 12,200m (40,000ft) as part of the development programme.
The testbed, aircraft 97001, is the first experimental import-substituted airframe – although it still flies with PowerJet SaM146 engines rather than the Russian-built Aviadvigatel PD-8.
It conducted the sortie on 12 April, 10 months after the jet commenced certification flights.
The exercise lasted about 3h, says United Aircraft, and involved testing aircraft control systems following a software update for “expanded functionality and flight safety”.
Equipment for “improved” aircraft navigation characteristics also underwent tests during the flight, it adds, while the computer interface has been made “easier for crews to understand and operate”.
As well as taking the aircraft to its maximum altitude, the pilots flew the aircraft at high angles of attack and across a speed range up to 310kt.
United Aircraft says the test results were “positive” and that the flight advances the SJ-100 certification effort.
PD-8 engines are being flight-tested on a separate airframe – a modified Superjet 100 which has undergone a powerplant swap.
